If you've read the blurb you might be expecting the standard witch trial story, but this is so much more. The author has created an insightful and beautiful collaboration of historical fact, culture and love. The purest of emotions and feelings of attraction when two people find they have more in common than they think.

The story is inspired by the real freak storm that hit the Varanger Fjord and killed the majority of the men in the small villages in the area. The storm set the stage as a so-called precursor to the witch trials that followed. Many of the indigenous Sami were at home in the area. Their ancestral and cultural practices were viewed as something akin to devil worship and witchcraft by the Christians, so it's an easy leap from neighbour to accusing someone as a witch.

It's easy to forget how old Ursa is, perhaps because it's the norm in her era, however the truth is she is a mere child and her marriage is arranged. She has been ripped from her family and moved to a place that couldn't be more isolated. Ursa isn't prepared for the people, the weather or being a wife to a man who seeks to make himself a name by ferreting out the evil among them.

She forges an unusual and cautious friendship to a local young woman called Maren, who finds it hard to believe that the people around her are capable of pointing the finger to ingratiate themselves, even if that finger means torture and death.

What Millwood Hargrave does really well is show the slow and insidious use of gossip, folklore and good ol' fear to malign the characters of the innocent. A healer becomes someone using magic, coincidences become summoned demons, and objects to help heal become harbingers of the devil.

It's historical fiction, a beautifully atmospheric tale of love, support and a demon called fear. Millwood Hargrave is a wonderful writer and this is a fantastic read.

Atmospheric and beautifully written, The Mercies takes inspiration from the real life disaster of 1617 where 40 men drowned on Christmas Eve off the coast of Vardo in Norway in a vicious and unnatural storm. For the women left behind they must fight not only for survival in the harsh climate, but also the coming reckoning of the accusations of witchcraft which creates a growing level of mistrust between the women. Taking centre stage in this story are two women, Maren and Ursa. Maren is the daughter of a fisherman, who lost both her father and brother in the storm. Ursa is the new wife of a renowned Witch Hunter, a man who has been sent to Vardo to quell the growing rumours of women living independently by any means possible. Even if his methods have horrific and life ending consequences.

I loved the writing in this. It’s richly descriptive and well researched, immersing the reader in the environment from the very first page with a vivid reimagining of this tragic disaster. The characters are also well fleshed out and complex, as we see Maren struggle to deal with her growing resentment for some of the women she’s grown up with - including the slow unravelling of her relationship with her mother and brother’s wife, an outsider. This really feels like a tale about women, how they create kinship in times of need and band together as a community. They’re pragmatic, but this also then dissolves into mistrust and hatred over time. A hatred fuelled by the church and its Commissioner with stories of spells and the devil. The standout relationship however is that between Maren and Ursa. It’s gradually built upon, as the two women share their experiences and losses, growing first into friends and then something deeper. Something more meaningful. They are each other’s shining beacon of hope in an otherwise desolate landscape. It feels realistic and hopeful, amongst an otherwise dark story.

That said, there was just something missing for me throughout the story and I think that’s largely a result of the pacing. The story takes place over 3 years, and is very slow to pick up after the dramatic opening scene. Not much happens for a large portion of the text, with both our main characters not even meeting until over 100 pages in. There’s a lot of set up, and a lot of talk between the women (which does help with character development), which leaves the plot lagging and stilted. At times I did find my mind wandering, and I struggled to stay focused on the story. The pay off at the end also doesn’t fully compensate for the pacing. It feels a little incomplete, and not totally satisfying.

A fascinating and well researched look at a moment in time that is largely overlooked in literature, but I just wanted more from the plot and pacing to accommodate these wonderful characters.

Atmospheric is the word that comes to mind with this book. I could feel the sting of the wind and the sea spray on my face. It’s difficult to imagine these events happening in real life but that made the book even more compelling. Beautifully written and completely alive.

A classic story of a remote community threatened by an outsider - I can honestly say I loved it!


Kiran Millwood Hargrave's The Mercies has all the right ingredients for me: an authentic historical setting (winter 1617); a remote location (the island of Vardø, in the far north of Norway); a self-contained community (the bereft widows and families of fishermen killed in a freak storm, now eking out a living) that faces an external threat (the newly arrived commissioner with witches in his sights). It doesn't take much to be classed as a witch, by the way: wearing trousers or speaking up are enough to condemn you to the flames.

The story has feminist undertones, but the women are not idealised. They have their petty jealousies, resentments and divisions. These would normally be trivial, but in a climate of suspicion and fear have terrible consequences. Yet it’s as much a love story as of bleakness and jeopardy, with the beautifully described evolving relationship between Maren, a local woman, and Ursa, the commissioner’s wife, whom he treats as little more than a decorative fixture. We also learn a lot about the Sami (Laplander) culture and mysticism.

The Mercies is billed as being for ‘readers of Circe and The Handmaid’s Tale’. I’d say, if you enjoy novels set in wintry isolated spots, such as Burial Rites, Island of Wings or Wolf Winter, you'll enjoy this.

The thing with books is that they’re not just entertaining – they can be educational. I didn’t know before reading The Mercies that Norway has its own historic witch hunt (the VardØ witch trials) which resulted in eighteen women being burned alive.

This goes to show that sadly, regardless of time and location, some members of society will always deem it fit to persecute and murder women in order to appease their individual belief system.

The Mercies never promised itself to be a true account of this horrific piece of history.

The author herself has openly stated that liberties have been taken and that what transpired historically served as inspiration for her story rather than her trying to recreate the exact events in fiction form. Not, I think, that this matters. The escalating tension has pretty much been captured astutely.

We follow two women; Maren and Ursa and this is where I feel I need to deviate from my review to tell you that Maren has now become my favourite girls name. It’s just so pretty! Anyway… Maren has been born and bred on the island while Ursa, having recently married the religiously fanatical Absolom has travelled to the island for reasons she doesn’t know.

As the reader we can make a highly educated guess as to Absolom’s reason’s for arriving at VardØ long before Ursa discovers it and if you’re into books that rely on anticipation over action than this is one for you.
Now this is where I have to be honest and say that I liked The Mercies but didn’t fall head over heels in love with it.

I’ve rated it a three and I actually find it hard to review books that I give three stars to. I didn’t hate it or dislike it so don’t want to rant but I didn’t love it so I can’t gush or share any strong emotions that I just didn’t have.
It comes down really to this: I enjoyed it but it had some issues that I couldn’t overlook.

One of those issues was with the characters of Maren and Ursa.

I was initially greatly intrigued by both of their lives; Maren’s as an islander and her growing independence as she takes on more traditionally male roles and Ursa’s as she struggles to adjust to the harsh VardØ conditions and an even harsher marriage.

The disappointment came in when I felt that their stories were more interesting when they were apart then when they were together and as both their stories join together… well, that’s not a great thing.

Maren’s story provides the insight into the history and way of life on the island and she acts as a viewpoint to the growing tension between certain groups of women (and we all know where that is headed) but I felt that Ursa had the more interesting story.

Unfortunately, while Ursa’s arrival on the island gave her story more weight, it seemed to strip Maren of hers.
The elements of Maren’s personality become more muted and it felt as though Maren was used to become something of a prop. She starts as a comparison character to Ursa, then she becomes a friend and then something more. All the while her thoughts become more preoccupied with Ursa and she loses sight of what’s happening around her.

The romantic relationship just didn’t work for me because of this reason. It was also compounded by the fact that I didn’t feel anything from Ursa’s side that made me believe she felt the same.

While I understand that a romantic relationship would have been dangerous during the time period it doesn’t necessarily add to the danger that the women are already in – because believe me – things aren’t going great on the island.

I believe that’s what the writer wanted to convey – that things would be more dangerous for them both if they were to have a romantic relationship but in all honesty they were already in danger simply for daring to exist.
It did feel a bit like the author was including a same sex relationship just to score diversity points as the romantic relationship could have been a friendship and there would have been no difference to outcome or ending. That’s why it didn’t work for me.

I will say that I adored the build-up of this story because I live for books where you know what’s going to happen but not necessarily to whom and you live in anticipation waiting for the penny to drop.
The penny does drop and it finally drops (admittedly after some incredibly pretty and atmospheric writing) but this leads to my biggest issue with the story – the pacing.

This book is a slow burn of the slowest burns and if that’s not your thing then I would say don’t go for this. If I could draw a line to represent the pacing it would be a slow and steady one for 98% of the graph followed by some erratic upwards spikes. All the drama and action happens in the last 2 – 5% of the book.

The ending is both ambiguous and abrupt and I remember swiping my Kindle thinking there was another chapter to go. I know they say the best way to end a story is at the beginning of another but I don’t think they meant it quite like this where there is absolutely no resolution at all.

If you want a tense, atmospheric story and you don’t mind a slow paced tale to get to the crescendo than you may very well enjoy The Mercies and believe me – there’s still plenty to like.

I would err on the side of caution if you’re not after historical fictions than are 90% build and 10% payoff.

Set in an isolated fishing village in Norway in the 1600s, The Mercies shows what women will do to survive after a freak storm wipes out virtually all the men in their village. In a time of religious zealousness, survival can be seen as impious, strength as rebellion and thinking for yourself as dangerous.

Maren saw her father, brother and fiancé drown and has been left to survive. Ursa, married to a Scotsman and brought across the sea by a man on a witch-hunt, is drawn in closer and closer to Maren and her life, and away from her own husband.

In the same kind of style as The Glass Woman or a Sarah Perry novel, The Mercies brings a fear of the unusual and the fear of God into a frightening combination that ramps up the tension and leads to a horrific conclusion.

Part of what makes this kind of novel work well, is that you know it won't end well, and often you know what will happen, but the tension is built by slowly leading you there. At times I found the pacing to be slower than necessary, but perhaps I should learn more patience.

The author has taken a genuine event and effectively turned it into something even more sinister.
There were lots of things to like about this novel - it's as disconcerting as the midnight sun, shows the fear of men and the power of women and set in a fascinating period. It's a historical novel, but not quite as we know it.

4.5 stars

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Whilst I admire the quality of the prose, the Nordic setting and historical detail, I struggled with this.

The historic events it is based on are haunting, and the story conveys this well. The victimisation of the women by a powerful male outsider is disturbing, and the strength of the women as they refute the charges of witchcraft, empowering. The world-building of the community of women, learning to survive after a tragedy is detailed, but to get the best from the story takes a lot of concentration and time. The gentle pacing is more suited to those who read fewer books than I do.

The detail and intricacy of the beautiful cover reflect the story perfectly.

If you are seeking an immersive, claustrophobic, reading experience, full of complex characterisation and a stark, unforgiving setting, 'The Mercies' is worth your time.

I received a copy of this book from Pan Macmillan- Picador in return for an honest review.

The story told in The Mercies is not a new one by any means, but is one that always bears retelling. Set in the early years of the 17th century on the remote Norwegian island of Vardo, this is a timeless tale of women finding strength, daring to survive without men, and being punished for it. 

On Christmas Eve 1917, a sudden violent storm arises and kills 40 Vardo fishermen in an instant. This represents the sum total of all the adult men on the island, and has devastating consequences for the small, isolated community. Reliant as they are on the season’s catch for their survival, the women of the island must not only come to terms with their grief for their lost husbands, fathers and sons, but must also find a way to survive with no men. While the bodies, washed up by the sea after a few days, lie in a boathouse waiting for the ground to thaw enough for burial, factions start to form amongst the women. There are those who are loyal to the relatively recently established Christian kirke and their traditional roles, and those who recognise that survival will depend on adapting by breaking the constraints of traditional dress and occupations, and who welcome the Sami drumming rituals to ease passage for their dead.

Events are seen through the eyes of Maren Magnusdatter, who loses her father, brother and betrothed in the storm. Her family is set slightly apart by virtue of the fact that her brother’s pregnant wife is Sami, a Lapp, from a race regarded with suspicion and superstition as witches. From the aftermath of the storm the ’kirke women’ look for signs of dark forces at work and see omens and portents that they interpret as God’s displeasure, the deaths of their menfolk a punishment for unnamed sins in the community. As the winter wears on the stores of dried fish, flour and other essentials run low, visits from the mainland for trade are few and goods to trade are fewer, and the newly sent, rather ineffectual pastor only preaches platitudes.

Meanwhile, the little community is not completely forgotten. The newly appointed Lensmann of Finnmark, Scotsman John Cunningham, is committed to King Christian IV's work to 'solidify the Church's position' in Vardo, where 'the Devil's breath reeks'. He casts about for the right man to enforce the sorcery laws he intends to enact there, and alights upon Absalom Cornet whose reputation has been sealed through his role in the trial and burning of the witch Elspeth Reoch in Kirkwall. Absalom duly arrives, with his new young wife in tow, and sets about wreaking havoc in the little community which is already riven with jealousies, conflicting mindsets and differing religious beliefs.

This is a story we know best from the Salem witch trials, but we cannot fail to be horrified once more at the combined power of jealousy, superstition and male fear of female difference and independence. It is a story that has repeated itself throughout history, and is still happening today in different form. Kiran Millwood Hargrave, in her first adult novel, tells a timeless tale of the cost to women of not subjugating themselves to men through the ages.

Kiran Millwood Hargrave's has written a few children and YA books, but this is her first adult fiction book. It took me a while to get into this book. It read as a YA book more than an adult book, at first (didn't later on). I struggled with the first few chapters and was going to put it down.

But I am so glad I didn't!!

After the first few chapters the writing seemed a lot better and I found myself really memorised by this book. It follows Maren, who lives in Vardo, Norway and one day all the men from their village get killed out at sea while fishing. Literally all their men die, apart from children and the elderly.

We follow the story 18 months after the tragedy, and all the women on Vardo are trying to cope and carry on the best that they can. One women, Kristen, decides that the women need to go fishing for themselves to survive and she also takes it upon herself to slaughter the reindeer's they have there for meat and clothes. This kind of thing is normally only done by men, and a few people in close by villages don't like it and send for a commissioner to run the village.

Commander Cornet is appointed the role and he and his newly wedded wife, Ursa, move to Vardo. The commander is very religious and he wants to try to get the women in order. Ursa, soon becomes friends with Maren and they start to form a close bond. It isn't long before people accuse Kristen and a few others of being witches. Mainly because she went fishing, wore trousers and did 'manly duties'.

There is a witch trial and we see how the women react and go against each other and how loyalties are lost. I loved reading about the witch trials, very hard hitting. And what made this book so good it that it is actually based around real witch trials that happened in Vardo, Norway.

By time I got to the end of the book, I was in love. I loved the story, I loved Maren and Ursa's friendship. And I love that the book is based on real facts too. At one part in the book, I actually cried. It really is a moving book. I have been so fascinated with this book, that I have actually researched more about the real Vardø witch trials.

5/5 stars

This is an exquisite book. I absolutely loved it and was sorry when it came to an end. It is bleak and raw and quite brilliant.
Steeped in history with a dash of artistic licence, the novel is so accomplished. The lives of the women of Vardo lure you in and the writing is descriptive and informative but never to the point of being excessive or boring.
Despite having visited Norway a few times, I was completely ignorant about Vardo let alone the history of its “ungodly” witch trials. This has now inspired me to try and schedule in a visit next time I’m there and walk in Maren’s footsteps. Great stuff.

I am always drawn to books with pretty covers like this one, even though I know that the story inside doesn’t always live up to the promise of the cover. This one, set in 17th century Norway, did sound fascinating, though, so I hoped that in this case it would be as good as it looked!

The novel opens in December 1617 in the remote island town of Vardø, in the far northeast of Norway. It is Christmas Eve but the men of the island have gone out to sea as usual in search of the fish on which their livelihood depends. Twenty-year-old Maren Magnusdatter watches from her window as she sits by the fire with her mother and sister-in-law mending torn sails. Suddenly there’s a flash of lightning and Maren and her mother run to the window...

"And then maybe both of them are screaming but there is no sound save the sea and the sky and all the boat lights swallowed and the boats flashing and the boats spinning, the boats flying, turning, gone."

The effects of that Christmas Eve storm are disastrous both for Maren, who loses her father and brother, and for the town of Vardø as a whole. Where the male population of the town used to be fifty-three, now only thirteen remain – and those thirteen consist of babies, young boys and elderly men. Now the women of Vardø have two choices: abandon the island and start a new life somewhere else – or stay and do the work of the men themselves, so that their community can survive.

Meanwhile, far away in Bergen, a young woman called Ursa is marrying a man chosen for her by her father. The man’s name is Absalom Cornet and he has been summoned from Scotland to take up a position as Commissioner of Vardø. When they arrive in Vardø, Ursa is struck by the strength and independence of the women she meets there and the resilience they have shown in coping with such a terrible tragedy. Commissioner Cornet, though, views the women differently – and when Ursa discovers the true nature of the work her husband has carried out in Scotland and why he has been brought to Norway, she becomes afraid for her new friends.

The Mercies is based on real historical events – the 1617 storm which almost wiped out all the men of Vardø really happened, and so did some of the things that take place later in the novel. I loved the descriptions of the island and the portrayal of a small, superstitious society where outsiders and anyone deemed to be different – such as Maren’s sister-in-law, an indigenous Sámi woman – are regarded with suspicion. It was particularly interesting to see things from two such different perspectives: Maren, who has lived in Vardø all her life, and Ursa, to whom everything is strange and unfamiliar. However, despite the drama and tragedy of Maren’s storyline, she never really came to life for me and I couldn’t quite warm to her; I found Ursa more sympathetic as she struggled to fit into her new community and to come to terms with her knowledge of the sort of man she had married.

This is the first book I’ve read by Kiran Millwood Hargrave (she has previously written YA novels and this is her first one aimed at adults) and I thought her writing was beautiful at times, but I really wish authors would stop writing in present tense; I find it so distracting and distancing! Still, there’s a lot of atmosphere – I think books set in countries like Norway and Iceland do tend to have a certain atmosphere – but apart from those vivid opening scenes describing the storm and its aftermath, I felt that the rest of the story was one I’d read several times before. As soon as I found out who and what Absalom Cornet was, I could predict what was going to happen and I was right.

If you read The Mercies and enjoy it, I would recommend reading The Glass Woman by Caroline Lea too; I thought the two books had a very similar feel and if you like one you will probably like the other.

I did not realise initially that this was an adult book. I was attracted to it because I have enjoyed a number of Kiran Millwood Hargrave's other books. This was vey different to books I normally read but there were similarities with some of the author's books for younger readers. It is based in a particular location and time which has been thoroughly researched. The characters are well drawn, needing to be independent because of the accident at sea which left them with no menfolk. Some seemed to thrive in this environment and others did not. Petty dislikes and jealousies caused tensions and these came to the fore when the new Commissioner arrived. How different the book would have been if the women had worked together. Would a group of women work together for the greater good? It might happen these days but with the society which we slowly learn about this is not the case.

There is a feeling of menace created in the book which slowly comes to fruition. I longed for the ending to be happy and different but then the book would not have been anywhere near as good as it is.

It is based on true happenings and illustrates how abysmally humankind has behaved in the past. There is one phrase which comes at the end, spoken by Maren's mother which is something like "what have we begun?" It is very pertinent to the plot, yet is such a simple phrase.

The Mercies is a slow burn of a novel, set in the Arctic town of Vardø in 1617 (Norway, the part that was called Finnmark). On Christmas Eve, whilst all of the men are out fishing, a storm blows in and kills them all. The women are left without their husbands, brothers and fathers, and must learn to fend for themselves. Karen Magnusdatter is one of these women. She watches as her father, brothers and future husband are drowned.

Three years later, a Scot, Absalom Cornet and his young Norwegian wife, Ursa, arrive. Absalom has been appointed Commissioner of Vardø, and is adamant that witchcraft was the cause of the storm three years ago. The fact that the women are surviving and taking on the roles of their dead menfolk doesn’t help their case. Absalom only sees evil, and women who have forgotten their place as servants of God. He is a witch finder, and has been responsible for the prosecution and death of women at home in Scotland. Unsurprising, he’s not a very nice character, and I liked NOT liking him, although I couldn’t help but feel sorry for Ursa. She is shy and inexperienced in the ways of the world. She has been shut away, caring for her sick younger sister. She knows nothing of what is expected of her as a wife - in every sphere. She doesn’t know how to keep a house at all. This is where Maren steps in as an advisor. They become good friends, and there is the beginnings of something more than just a simple friendship. I loved the interactions between these two women. Maren, strongly independent, competent and lonely, and Ursa, inexperienced, unhappy and lonely. In other circumstances, theirs could have been a good friendship - but unlikely because of social status, I should think.


The writing in this is gorgeous. The descriptions of the landscape and the sea made me feel as though I was standing there with them (warmer though!), and I loved getting to know the women, even the ultra-religious women who were only too keen to give up their fellow towns-women as witches. This part doesn’t happen for quite a while, so we’re given the chance to become emotionally invested in these characters. So when we read of their treatment at the hands of Absalom and his fellow witch hunters, it makes it all the more appalling. If it wasn’t bad enough already.


I love historical fiction, and I really liked how this was written in such a way that these didn’t really seem to be women separated from us by 400 years. They were normal women, working hard to survive and make lives for the,selves. Which made it all the more sad. There’s no way I could detach myself and NOT read this with a modern woman’s eye. These women were punished for something that we take for granted: independence.


Despite the terrible things that happen, it’s a beautifully written, very enjoyable book that I would easily recommend to anyone, even though it’s just like I would imagine the landscape around Finnmark is: bleak, yet beautiful.


Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book to read and review.

The year is 1617 and on the shores of Vardø, disaster strikes. A storms drives in from the distance, ravaging the boats and killing forty men swiftly as fish caught in a net. Their sodden bodies wash up on the rocks, and the wives and mothers and sisters and daughters of the lost men, arrive to take them away, take them to a safe place until the ground is soft enough to bury them. The storm’s speed and ferocity was almost akin to witchcraft, conjured and called to claim the men. It was a thing of nightmares. And yet the reality of it lies in the absence of so many loved ones, the grief clutching every heart left behind. Now, Vardø is a place of womenfolk. And they must fend for themselves, dare to go beyond the scopes of tradition and acceptability, if they want to survive the winter.

Maren Magnusdatter lost her beloved papa and brother in the storm, their bodies washing up days later like pale lumps of driftwood. Now, she lives with her mamma and her brother’s widow and unborn child, in the space between grief and disbelief. Vardø is a silent place now, those who are left struggle to find their way, a new life they know they must live. Soon their food stores run low and the women are forced to take the boats to the sea and cast out their nets. For a time the community works as one but it does not last long, as change arrives once more on the shores of Vardø.

Ursa lives with her father and sister in the city of Bergen. Her life is quiet one. When once the house would have been bursting with people, her mother’s bright voice and laughter in the air, now it has fallen silent. The majority of servants have been sent away and people no longer arrive for parties and gatherings. Her father is distant, trapped by his grief, and her little sister struggles with a health condition. But Ursa is grateful for her family. Commissioner Absolom Cornet arrives in Bergan to take a wife, before his journey under the Kings’ orders to bring control to Vardø. Ursa is to be his wife. And soon they will set out together, to a place so distant and small, it is a world of its own.

Over time, Ursa and Maren become friends, discover a bond that rivals any they have felt before. But this newfound relationship is shadowed by the acts of Absolom and Lensman Cunningham, who seek to root out witches and bring God to the hearts and minds of the womenfolk. Soon, suspicion circulates through Vardø, strong and powerful as the storm that took its men. The community is split, sides are taken, and no mercy is given to those who are on the wrong one.

This book was everything I had hoped for and more. It’s inspired by the real-life Vardø Storm and the following witch trials. It is a striking, poignant and exquisitely raw novel about loss and brutality and love and courage. The author brings to life every flicker of emotion, the simmering, pulsing drive of suspicion and betrayal and the way it can rupture a community. She beautifully evokes the landscape, the harsh, unforgiving climate and how life is lived about it. The characters are complex and unforgettable. I loved Maren and Ursa, they are the sort of characters you take into your heart and keep there. The prose is poetic, atmospheric and breath-taking! Marvellous book! Highly recommend!

This is beautifully written, but I didn't love it as much as I expected to. There were things that kept pulling me out of the story, though I think these were mostly just things that bothered me as a Norwegian speaker - I don't think they would have any effect on most readers. It felt like a book that should have been enjoyed as an immersive reading experience, and I know that for a lot of people it has been, but it just didn't work for me.

The cover is absolutely gorgeous!

In the early 17th Century an unexpected storm hits the small village of Vardo, the men are out fishing and all are killed. The woman are left to fend for themselves, grieving and coping as best they can. However this brings them under suspicion as this is a time of concern about witchcraft so Commissioner Cornet is sent to the village to investigate. Cornet brings his young wife Ursula with him, a woman unused to the far north and unused to life without comfort. As accusations against the Sami people fuel the fires of suspicion Cornet finds what he is looking for as villagers accuse each other to save their own lives. Ursula sees her husband in a different light and realises the danger her only friend is in.
After the dramatic start this book is a really slow-burner but that is what makes it so special. The characters develop over time and reveal layers upon layers. Based on true events, the Finnmark witch trials are infamous, Hargrave has fashioned a tender love story amidst the tragedy.

I was sent The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave to read and review by NetGalley.
This is a beautifully written story which is character led, this includes the landscape in my opinion, and has a fable like element to it. Set on a remote Norwegian island the weather and folk lore have a good deal to play in this novel. I was captivated from the first chapter and really enjoyed the relationships between the women who were left to fend for themselves after a great storm which took the lives of the men from the village. Inspired by the true story of a witch hunt, this book is engrossing as a novel but reaches a different level when you consider the reality of the history.

Thanks to both the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Having read the Deathless Girls, also by Millwood-Hargrave, I was expecting good things. I wasn't disappointed. The story is set in the fishing town of Vardo in Norway, and how they are dealing with the aftermath of a storm that killed the majority of their men. This is based on a real event that happened in 1617.

I felt like the story worked well, and it fit well within the time it was based in. I did feel the ending was a little rushed, but overall I did enjoy the book a lot.

Another great historical fiction. Set in Norway, I loved the atmosphere. I did feel that the last quarter was slightly rushed, but I loved it nonetheless.

You know those reads those reads that stay with you long after you’ve finished them... The Mercies was one of those. I miss having this book in my hands! It’s such a powerful read that I don’t know where to start. Based on a true witch-hunt story from 400 years ago, Hargrave writes so vividly that the story might as well have taken place yesterday.

Set in far-off Vardø, the rawness and savagery of the landscape rubs off onto the atmosphere of the book lending it a chilling quality in some places. The characters sometimes mirror, sometimes contrast with the setting and Hargarve is a fantastic painter of people. Their heat and passion seems all the more fiery for the harsh environment whilst their hardness appears all the more bitter, and there was plenty of both. I think Ursa is my favourite character. Her tale is a difficult one of conflicted loyalties, duty and friendship, but her strength is her most striking feature. This strength and independence extends to other members of the village and their friendship and support for one another is beautiful to read. Hargrave idealises nobody in her tale yet I still grew attached to so many of them.

The Mercies’ is a tale of strength and love but also of jealousy, broken relationships and the chilling extremes they lead to. It shows how brittle love can become and how easily betrayal can be yet hope and friendship shine through. Hargrave has a special skill in making her characters feel so close despite belonging to a far-flung place. It is both an eerie and beautiful read that stays with you long after you’ve finished the final pages.